


Water Is The Driver Of Nature

by KrysKrossZee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adolescent Sexuality, Ficlet Collection, Fluff and Angst, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, POV Male Character, POV Third Person, Romantic Fluff, Sexuality Crisis, Water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23156404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrysKrossZee/pseuds/KrysKrossZee
Summary: Seamus has had a crush on Dean for a while but he's had no idea how to tell the other boy. They go on a camping trip and the beauty of nature prompts him just to blurt it out....
Relationships: Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas
Comments: 26
Kudos: 63
Collections: Waterfall Connections





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic fully supported by the fantastic group of people at Hermione's Nook! It's no secret that Seamus and Dean are two of my favourite characters and when a group of us decided that we needed to write a group of ficlets about a Waterfall in the Highlands, I just knew that I had to use these two!
> 
> Thank you so much to KoraKunkel for betaing this entire collection for us! You really are the best.

It was a rare warm day and while Seamus was grateful for the heat, he hadn't actually been prepared for it and now he felt as if his skin was cooking. He glanced over at Dean, who was busy prodding at the sausage he was cooking for his breakfast - even though it was closer to lunchtime now. Honestly, Seamus couldn't understand how the boy could be that close to a heat source and still be comfortable. He shook his head slightly. Part of him just wanted to strip down to his boxers, that would at least make him feel cooler than sitting there in his jeans and t-shirt, but he couldn't help but blush at the thought of doing that. He didn't exactly understand why either, and yet he did. 

He and Dean had been best friends for five years now. Practically inseparable, most people never saw one without the other. Seamus had been practically naked around the other boy many times before while they'd been changing in the dorms and such, but now things were different. Seamus knew now that he had feelings for Dean.

He couldn't actually pinpoint the moment when the feelings had developed but he could remember the exact time and place that he had realised that they existed. The two of them had been sat in the Transfiguration Classroom. Dean had the nib of his quill in his mouth, deep in thought, and his lips were stained black from the ink. As Seamus had watched the offending nib touch the boy’s mouth, all he had wanted to do was to share the ink, to press their lips together and kiss him. It had been a terrifying moment if he was completely honest. Boys weren't meant to want to do that sort of thing to other boys but he couldn't help it.

The feeling hadn't gone away either, it had only grown over the last few months. Now, not only did he want Dean to kiss him, but he wanted to be as close to him as was possible - to always have some sort of skin to skin contact with him.

He'd tried not to cave into these cravings, though. Dean couldn't know how he felt, it wasn't normal. It wasn't  _ right _ to have these feelings about his best friend. It tore him up inside, so he kept it to himself. Well, no - that was a lie. He'd told Lavender, but she didn't count. Not because she wasn't important, because she was, but because she was practically an extension of himself.

People often didn't realise how close he and Lavender were. He supposed it was because more often than not, they were stuck in the complete misunderstanding that boys and girls just couldn't be friends without there being something else involved. There had been more than enough proof of that misconception in the papers over the last couple of years. No, he and Lavender were just best friends, which was how he liked it. They needed each other as far as he was concerned. Despite the fact that his head was in the clouds more often than not, she kept him grounded. He knew that he could trust her with his life, which was why he had confided in her what he considered to be his darkest secret. 

Lavender had tried to reassure him on more than one occasion that he was not, in fact, broken. She had tried to tell him that what he was experiencing was normal, not all boys had to like girls. It had taken him a while to believe her, and part of him still didn't, but he was at least a little more comfortable in himself now.

He wasn't ready, however, to tell the world. He knew that there would be many that did not agree, including his own mother. She was, unfortunately, one of the most opinionated witches that he had, and would ever, meet.

He did, however, want to tell Dean. Especially as he sat there watching the boy, thinking about how they'd spent the night talking until the small hours of the morning and passed out sprawled across each other. It had been one of the best nights of his life. He just had no idea how he was meant to broach the subject.

Lavender hadn't been particularly helpful in this area, despite having had a couple of boyfriends. She'd said that they weren't serious ones though, so he supposed that he had to give her that. His situation was a little different, after all. He and Dean had a lot of history and if Dean didn't feel the same way about him, there was a chance that Seamus could ruin their entire friendship.

He shook the thought away and grabbed his bottle of water as he looked away. He couldn't dwell on the what-ifs - that was far too dangerous. He just had to focus on being there in the moment and hope that everything would be okay.

"Alright?" came Dean's voice and Seamus did his best to ignore the tingle in the pit of his stomach that came with it. He didn't know what it was about Dean's voice that made him feel like this, but it was always Dean and only Dean.

"Oh. Yeah, fine." Seamus nodded as he glanced back over, even though he felt anything other than 'fine' in that moment. He didn't know how to describe just how he felt, though. He didn't even think that there were words for it, so 'fine' would just have to do.

Dean gave a slight nod and the pair of them fell back into a comfortable silence. It surprised Seamus how easy it was to just be in each other’s company. It felt natural, as if you didn't need to force  _ anything _ , let alone conversation.

After their brunch of overcooked sausages that tasted more of charcoal than of anything else, the pair had decided to go exploring. Dean had told Seamus that there was something that he had wanted to show him just as they had left 'base camp' and for some reason, this had made him feel nervous. The nervous energy at least helped to fuel him as they climbed up a sloping hill and made it so that he could pretty much ignore the fact that he was sweating.

Once they reached the top, the two boys stopped and Dean gestured to the view in front of them. It took Seamus' breath away as he looked out across the Scottish Highlands, out at the blue sky and rolling green hills ahead of them.

"Wow." He said with a whistle as he admired the scenery. He hadn't actually ever explored Scotland much, despite having gone to school there for the last few years. He had to admit that it was a beautiful country, though maybe not quite as beautiful as Ireland, but he supposed that he was probably a little biased in that respect.

"This isn't even the best part." Dean told him with a grin as he took his hand and turned towards a steep slope that was more-or-less hidden by some bushes. "Come on."

Seamus’ stomach flipped at the feel of Dean’s skin on his and he eagerly followed, though he did steal one more glance out across the Scottish countryside. The track Dean led them down wasn't the best, it was covered in stones and dirt that moved underfoot as you walked and that often lead to them slipping a little. By some miracle, the pair of them made it to the bottom without landing on their asses once.

At the foot of the hill, Dean let go of his hand and Seamus allowed himself to let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding in. It was only then that he saw properly what was spread out in front of him. His eyes widened slightly as he looked out across a pool with sparkling waters, so clear that you could see the contours of the basin below. He heard the gushing of the waterfall before he saw it and marvelled at how the hill that they'd just been on top of was spouting this beautiful sight.

"It's... It's beautiful." He practically whispered as he turned to face Dean, whose eyes seemed to be transfixed on him. Seamus definitely couldn't understand why, when they were surrounded by such stunning scenery. He couldn't take his eyes off of Dean now though as his eyes landed on his face, on his lips. "You're beautiful." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them and his eyes went wide, as did Dean's. Even though the voice inside his head was telling him to run as far as he could, he was rooted to the spot.

"What?" Dean asked, after what felt like an entire lifetime. The agonizing wait made Seamus hope that the ground would open up and swallow him whole, but he had no such luck.

"I…" Seamus began but trailed off. He knew there was no turning back now. He knew that Dean had heard him clearly enough, there wasn't much point in pretending that he hadn't said what he had. He swallowed thickly and tried to steady his racing thoughts before starting again. "I said you're beautiful."

Dean just blinked a couple of times but to Seamus' surprise, he didn't look angry or disgusted - he just looked shocked.

Seamus took that as a sign that he could continue, "I like you, Dean. Have for a while now. And I know it's not 'right' or whatever, but it's the truth."

Dean gave a slight nod, one that made Seamus wonder if he had known all along. Even though he hadn't said anything, he did seem to be taking this news pretty well.

The increasingly long silence was starting to make Seamus feel uneasy. He bit down on his lip slightly and looked away, over at the pool. He decided that giving Dean some space was probably the best thing to do just then. If he had known, there was probably a reason that he had never said anything about it. Without another thought, he stripped down to his boxers and quickly made his way into the water. If nothing else, it would cool him down. His whole body felt as if it were on fire, and somehow he didn't think that that was just thanks to the sun anymore.

He swam for a while, letting the water help him to forget how hot he was and how he might have just ruined everything, only stopping when his legs and arms were screaming for rest.

He sat himself down on the grass and dipped his feet in the water, a soft sigh escaping him. It felt good to have actually gotten the words out, even if Dean's reaction wasn't exactly the one that he had wanted. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of his chest. He now knew that he didn't have to pretend to be anyone else around his best friend and that was honestly a big relief. He let his eyes close for a moment as he let the sun warm him gently and only opened them again when he felt Dean's shoulder bump against his own.

"You didn't need to run off." Dean said softly, his voice a little smaller than Seamus was used to. Dean, more often than not, exuded confidence and him not having that was something that he was not used to.

Seamus tried to push away the guilt that came with the knowledge that he was the cause for the change in Dean as he responded with "I didn't run off. I went to swim."

As if that made it any better.

Dean had turned slightly now to face him. "You didn't even give me a chance to talk, though." He pointed out and Seamus noted the soft pink glow to his cheeks as he spoke.

"Yeah, sorry." He whispered as he swallowed again and tried to get a grip on himself. Dean deserved to say his piece, he knew that, even if it didn't quite match how he felt.

"I think I might like you, Shay. I just… don't know for sure? I've never liked anyone before so I don't know how I'm supposed to know or how I'm meant to be sure." Dean confessed. 

Seamus stared at him with wide eyes regardless. Sure, there was a lot of uncertainty in Dean's words, voice, and expression, but at least there was a sliver of hope too. Without saying another word, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against the boy's lips, letting the kiss linger so that he could commit every detail of this moment to his memory.

Dean didn't kiss him back, but that was okay because he didn't pull away either.

"I'll be here when you do know," Seamus said quietly as he sat back. His eyes danced over Dean's face as he tried to take in all of the other boy's reaction to everything that had happened. "Let's go swim, yeah?" 

Dean gave a small nod and after a slight hesitation, he stood up and stripped down to his own underwear while Seamus shimmied himself back down into the water. His heart was pounding in his chest to the point where he could hear it in his ears and taste it in his mouth but he didn't care. Dean had said that he might like him and that was enough to make everything else melt away for the time being.

The rest of their camping trip was spent as the same as prior to their kiss. Seamus didn't dare try to kiss Dean again. He didn't want the other to think that he was going to push this, because he wasn't. He knew from experience how terrifying coming to terms with these suspected feelings was and it wasn't as if Dean had his own Lavender to talk to them about.

It put Seamus' fears to rest, though, that even if Dean didn't feel the same way about him that they would still be friends, even if the not knowing one way or another was killing him. He had to push that aside for now for both of their sakes. Dean needed everything to continue on as normal and that was that.

They parted after their week in the Highlands with a hug. Seamus had wondered briefly about kissing him just once more, but he hadn’t. If Dean had wanted to kiss him, then all he had to do was say it, after all. Not to mention the fact that their first kiss was perfect and if it was to be their last then it was a perfect last.

Throughout the rest of the summer they exchanged a couple of letters but nothing that was of much significance, though Seamus still kept every single one in a little wooden box by his bed. He knew that he was acting like a silly school girl but he honestly didn’t care. While he was stuck in this world of limbo, he could at least continue to enjoy the little things. Like the way that Dean signed his name at the end of every letter and did a little doodle.

When September rolled around, Seamus was more than a little excited to see Dean. He kissed his mother’s cheek before he practically skipped up the platform, and somehow managed to drag his trolley behind him without hitting anyone as he looked around for his best friend. He knew that he needed to tone down his excitement somewhat, but he didn’t exactly know how.

When he finally laid eyes on Dean, he managed to regain his sense of self. The other boy looked pleased to see him, so he counted that as a win, but it was the same sort of look that he knew he was about to give Lavender when he saw her.

Seamus did his best to ignore the sinking feeling as he told himself that he was at least getting to keep Dean in his life. That it was better than Dean being so repulsed by his feelings that he couldn't bear to even be in the same room as him.

They greeted each other with a hug before making their way onto the train. It wasn't long before they found Lavender and the Patil twins in a compartment. While Seamus really wanted Dean all to himself, he knew that having company was a much better idea.

He sat himself down on one of the benches after he and Dean managed to hoist their cases up onto the racks above their heads. Lavender's head was in his lap as she sprawled out within moments, her rambling about her summer filled the compartment and allowed for Seamus to disappear into his thoughts. She always seemed to know exactly what he needed and when, even if he didn't seem to know himself.

He closed his eyes as he leaned his head back, pretending he was listening by throwing out a non-reply every so often. She didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't pull him up about it, something for which he was so very grateful for.

Despite telling himself over and over again that this was one of the better outcomes, his heart was still breaking. He wanted to cry or scream or just -  _ something _ to let all of his hurt out, but he knew that he couldn't. He couldn't let the Patil girls know what had happened for a start - he'd fill Lavender in on his summer later - and then there was the Dean of it all. Dean needed protecting from how he was feeling now more than ever. He couldn't know how this was tearing him apart. It wasn't Dean's fault that he didn't feel the same way about Seamus, that Seamus did about Dean, not any more than it was Seamus' fault.

Seamus knew that the best thing that he could do for Dean was to pretend that he hadn't kissed him by the waterfall. It was the only way to make sure that the status quo remained intact and eventually, Seamus knew that he would be able to make his peace with that.

At least their one and only kiss had been perfect. No-one could take that - or the waterfall - away from him.


	2. Sixth Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kiss at the waterfall is soon forgotten as Seamus and Dean return to school and to the real world.

Seamus sighed as he leaned his head on Lavender's shoulder. It had been a rough year and in a way, he supposed that they had both had their hearts broken. Last summer was now a distant memory and although it held fond ones for him, Dean had more than shown him that was all it was.

Seamus couldn't blame him for engaging in a relationship with Ginny. He understood that in the end, Dean just couldn't share his feelings but that didn't stop it from being painful.

Not to mention that he wished Dean would have come to him before he'd found the two of them making out down by the Quidditch pitch one day. He hadn't said anything at the time and had just walked away to leave them to it. Dean had made his choice. The worst part was overhearing Ron teasing his younger sister about how long their relationship had seemingly gone on for, though. Dean had never once mentioned Ginny to him all summer, but apparently they had been exchanging letters the whole time.

He'd tried to be supportive of the blossoming couple and did his very best to hide just how much it hurt him to be near them. Regardless of Dean being his crush, he was still his best friend. So, he kept his mouth shut and instead tried not to focus on how broekn he felt, but on how happy the other boy was.

It hadn't helped matters much when Lavender had started dating Ron. She turned into some sort of wet blanket around their ginger classmate for some reason. Seamus couldn't see the appeal himself but her happiness meant almost as much as Dean's to him, so he just left her to it.

And then, within a short space of time, both his best friends had their hearts broken. Lavender latched onto Seamus, practically becoming a limpet, which in all honesty he didn't mind much, but Dean avoided him. Seamus didn't know how to help the boy when they were never together in the same room for more than five minutes, but something told him that was Dean's intention.

Seamus didn't press the issue at all, knowing that if and when Dean was ready, he would come and talk to him himself. He couldn't force him, not when things had been so… different between them since last summer.

So he gave the boy space, something that Lavender fully supported as well. Sometimes he wondered if that was for selfish reasons but he decided not to question her. He couldn't risk losing her as well. Not that he had lost Dean he supposed, if you looked at the bigger picture, but it certainly felt that way.

Emotions were running high in general when school let out that summer. There was no way even his mother could deny that Lord Voldemort had returned, not after the death of one of the most respected men in the country. Seamus found it hard to believe that there was any possible way that Snape could have had anything to do with Dumbledore's death; but he found the rumours that it had actually been that brat Draco Malfoy that had killed him to be even more ridiculous.

He had attended the funeral with his peers and the rest of the time had passed in a total blur. Now they were meant to board the train as if nothing had changed at all and go back to their respective homes. It was then all just a waiting game, times were uncertain and they truly had no idea what was around the corner. 

Seamus stood on the platform, just staring blankly at the train. He didn't really know how he was supposed to do it. He didn't know how he was meant to climb on board and pretend that all of this wasn't happening.

Lavender had said she'd meet him on the train as she'd gone ahead with Padma and Parvati, leaving him to pack up the last of his things in the unsettling silence of the boys' dorm. With Harry on edge, Ron generally avoiding him, and Neville wanting to keep the peace between everyone, the atmosphere in there had been tense the last day or so. That also wasn't taking into account the fact that Dean seemed to think that it was acceptable to say goodbye in letter form. 

Seamus hadn't read the letter yet. He'd found it on his pillow that morning, but he hadn't needed to open it to know that it was from Dean. He'd memorised, a long time ago, the way that Dean swirled his S when he wrote his name. It just seemed to him like the coward's way out, to write a letter when they slept less than five metres away from each other.

He sighed as he ran his fingers over the envelope that was tucked away just inside his jacket. He wanted to know what Dean had to say, but he was also terrified. He swallowed thickly before he headed away from the train, hoping that no-one would see him or stop him.

As he started walking, he didn't really know where he was going, or at least, his brain didn't. His feet, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly where they were taking him. It puzzled him somewhat that the further he got from the Hogwarts grounds, the more he seemed to actually feel as if he was entering familiar territory.

It wasn't until he heard the trickle of water that he realised where he was. He all but froze and had to force himself to take a deep breath. He hadn't wanted to come back here. He wasn't ready to be back here.

Seamus closed his eyes tightly and opened them so that he could stare up at the waterfall. He hadn't realised just how close it was to Hogwarts, or maybe he hadn't realised how far he'd walked that day? He couldn't be sure, all he knew was that he was now stood in the place that he had kissed Dean almost a year ago. 

His heart ached painfully in his chest.

He sunk to his knees, his eyes still fixed on the falling water. He understood why things had ended before they'd even begun with Dean, but that didn't mean that it hurt any less.

He gave a small sigh and pulled the letter out of his jacket after a little while. He ended up just simply staring at the way that Dean had written his name, his fingers gently tracing over the script. It was small things like that that let him believe time had not actually passed. But he knew it had.

Slowly, he tore the envelope open and pulled the letter out. He unfolded it carefully, though he knew he didn't need to be quite so gentle with the thick parchment.

_ Seamus, _

_ I don't really know how to say any of this. My head is more than a little messed up and I know that I haven't been a good friend to you lately. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that it's not actually going to get any better any time soon. _

_ With Dumbledore gone, I don't think Hogwarts is going to be safe for muggleborns like me next year. With no-one to stop You-Know-Who, I don't think the rest of the world is going to be safe for me either. So, I've decided not to go back to my mum this summer. It's not safe for her either if I do. _

_ So this… Well, this is goodbye for now. Stay safe, please? I'll miss you but we'll see each other again when this all blows over. I promise. _

_ Love, Dean.  _

Seamus stared at those last two words for longer than he would care to admit. He only snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of a twig cracking behind him.

He turned his head with a sudden jolt and swallowed hard as he tried to clear the lump that had formed in his throat. He hadn't realised that he'd started to cry at some point so he quickly wiped his eyes as he looked around for the source of the noise.

"Hello?" He stood up slowly as he tried to figure out if someone was there or if it was an animal. When he didn’t see anything, his shoulder’s sagged with relief. He had worried someone had found him at his most vulnerable and he couldn’t stand the thought of this place being tarnished with such a memory. Not when it had been the place he shared with Dean.

Carefully, he folded the letter back up and shook his head slightly, trying to clear the fog that had developed inside it. He didn’t know exactly why he had come here, but it was just the place that he had needed to read Dean’s goodbye. He stretched his arms slightly and closed his eyes for a moment as he let himself think of home. He then apparated back to his mother, hoping that she hadn’t been too worried when he hadn’t turned up at the train station that morning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the wizarding war, Seamus and Dean are trying to heal, not just from battle but from life. But can they do it together?

It had felt right to return to their spot even though nothing else in the world felt right. Sure, the war was over but there was still a lot that needed fixed, needed to be understood. Seamus was glad that Dean had come back to him, that somehow they had both made it through, but that didn't mean that they were able to just pick up where Dean's letter left off.

So much had happened over the last year when they hadn't had any communication. Dean had been on the run, he'd been captured by snatchers and watched people that he'd become friends with die. He'd also been tortured and the man that had come out the other side was not the boy that Seamus had known before.

That didn't mean that Seamus loved Dean any less though, in fact if he was being completely honest it made him love him even more.

Seamus had changed as well. He'd grown in a way that he didn't think was possible for him when he'd taken on part of the responsibility of Dumbledore's Army with Neville. No-one would have expected that of Seamus Finnigan before that year, that was for sure. And then the worst had happened just when he'd thought that they were in the clear; his best friend had been killed and he hadn't even had time to process that.

He swallowed thickly now as he looked up from the water that he had been staring at and glanced over at Dean. The other man had been sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs for a while without saying a single word. Seamus had left him to it. The very last thing that he wanted to do was force him to do anything that he wasn't ready for and that definitely included making him talk. They'd both been through hell and while they'd been helping each other to heal over the last month or so, they still had a long way to go.

Dean rarely spoke anymore, but that was okay. Seamus understood that he had been through a lot and all he wanted to do was be there for him.

Quietly he moved to sit next to Dean and very carefully he wrapped his arms around the man, letting him lean into his touch. All he wanted to do was press soft kisses to his cheeks and neck, to offer the comfort that he craved himself, but despite them sharing a bed, he knew that would be venturing into uncharted territory.

"Can we camp?" Dean asked after a few moments of them just being together.

"Camp?" Seamus repeated, frowning slightly as he tried to figure out how exactly camping would help Dean after several months sleeping rough.

"Yeah, like… Like we did two years ago." Dean said hesitantly. "Never mind. Forget it. It's stupid." He muttered the last part and started to pull away from Seamus, who just tightened his arms around him slightly.

"It's not stupid." He promised, his voice just above a whisper now. "It was just unexpected. But if camping is what you want, then it's what we'll do."

"Thank you." Dean said quietly before the two of them fell back into silence again and Seamus almost felt like he was at peace, at least for the moment.

They slept under the stars that night. It wasn't like two years ago but then how could it be when they weren't the people they were back then and neither was the world? But in a way, this was better, at least in Seamus' opinion. They were finally able to be themselves and that felt like a gift, one they had given to each other and themselves.

Seamus didn't really sleep. He didn't want to miss a single moment of this. Part of him was terrified that just like last time, they would go their separate ways tomorrow and never speak of it again. He wasn't sure that he was strong enough to get through that again, but if that was the way that it turned out then he would make sure that he did, because in the end the only thing that mattered was that Dean was okay.

He spent some of the night watching the stars but a good portion of it he spent watching the love of his life. Dean slept through most of it, his body pressed close to Seamus'.

When the morning came, or the sun rose (it still felt like the middle of the night to the Irish man), Dean started to stir in his arms. His eyes slowly blinked open and the first thing he did was tilt his head up to press a soft kiss to the bottom of Seamus' chin. Seamus' eyes shot wide open but he didn't dare move or say anything in case Dean hadn't meant to do that.

"Morning." Dean said quietly after a few more moments before he propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes meeting Seamus'. "You alright?"

Seamus hesitated for a moment but he did nod. "Yeah. I guess I'm just anxious." He decided that if he was even going to have any sort of chance of breaking through to Dean, he needed to be honest with him. "I'm scared that we'll go back to the real world later today or tomorrow or whenever and it'll be over." 

"What will be over?" Dean asked slowly as he sat up properly now and Seamus felt a knot forming in his stomach that he wasn't sure that he was going to be able to shift no matter what Dean said next.

He forced himself to sit up as well though and slowly reached out for Dean's hand. "This. Us. I… It's been a year since your letter and I was hoping that your feelings for me haven't changed since then, but neither of us have said anything and…" He trailed off and couldn't help but give a small laugh. "Merlin, I sound like Lavender…" He shook his head before Dean's other hand moved to touch his cheek.

"Hey." Dean's voice was soft and his expression more than matched. "They haven't changed. They will never change. I love you, Shay. I always have and always will love you."

Seamus' breath caught in his throat and words just would not form. He wanted to lean in and kiss the other man just then, but he didn't. He couldn't. Their first proper couple kiss could only come when he was positive that they were a couple and only then in the most perfect place.

"I haven't said anything because I didn't know how to." Dean continued. "And I didn't think I could. I thought I'd missed my chance."

Seamus shook his head quickly. "No, not at all." He lay his hand over Dean's that was still on his cheek. "You should know that I'd wait for you for forever if I had to."

Dean glanced down for a moment. "That's sort of what  _ I'm  _ afraid of. I don't want to have to make you wait. I do want to be with you, I can promise you that. But I'm still...healing. You can understand that though, right? I'm still broken so we need to take this, us, slow."

"As long as there is an us, I'm happy." Seamus said honestly, bringing Dean's hand to his lips now and pressing a kiss to his palm.

After breakfast and a short walk, the pair ended up back in front of the waterfall and Seamus knew exactly what he wanted to do. It had to be perfect, but what was perfect for him meant that three things had to be present. The first was himself, the second was Dean, and the third was the waterfall. Everything else was completely circumstantial.

He took both of Dean's hands in his and turned the other man to face him, a small smile playing across his lips as he looked into his deep brown eyes.

"I love you, Dean Thomas." He began, his voice as warm as his heart felt. "In the interest of taking things slow, keep in mind that this is not a proposal. But I do want you to know that I intend on spending the rest of my life with you. We both need to grieve and heal, but I want us to do that together and I'm hoping that you feel the same. And now, if it's okay with you, I'm going to kiss you."

Seamus heard Dean's breath catch in his throat but saw him give the smallest of nods in reply. That was all the permission that Seamus needed. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Dean's. His arms moved to snake around the other man and he pulled him close against his body. He kissed him gently but deeply, trying to convey everything that he felt about Dean in that one kiss. Actions speak louder than words, right? Or at least that was what he was hoping for in this case.

Dean kissed him back and Seamus felt as if his heart was about to burst out of his chest. It was more than he could have hoped for, let alone ask for.

As he pulled back, he leaned his forehead against Dean's and whispered "I just love you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year after the war and Seamus is decidedly content with his life in thejr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited conclusion to my Waterfall Connection fic. The final chapter will be a collaboration and in a separate fic, but this fic is complete without it!
> 
> I still recommended reading the other works in the Waterfall Connect!
> 
> Thanks to SethWren for betaing this. ❤️

Seamus stretched out across the middle of the king-size bed that took up most of the tiny box room. He'd insisted that they get it though, despite knowing that they wouldn't have as much room if they got a massive bed. He'd wanted something comfy though and comfy was what they had gotten. After a year of lumpy hostel beds, and even hammocks when they'd found themselves in Romania, Seamus had made the executive decision that they needed a proper bed.

Dean had gone along with it, but he had been quick to point out that the only reason that he was letting Seamus be in charge of all the major decorating decisions was because he was far too busy with his work to be bogged down by things like the size of bed and the colour of the curtains - which were now a sunshine yellow that made Seamus' heart happy.

He was happy in general. He and Dean had been inseparable since they had finally confessed how they truly felt about each other and they'd spent the last year travelling all over Europe. Seamus had wanted to see some of the world and Dean didn't think he could return to Hogwarts, despite them both being invited to become eighth years at the school. Dean had pointed out at the time that he didn't need a magical education to keep drawing and Seamus was more than happy enough to skip out on the whole school thing. He didn't know how he was meant to go back without Lavender anyway. The very thought of it still sent him into panic filled nightmares, even now, when the chance had passed.

Fortunately Dean understood what he was going through. They both had their unseen battle scars from the war and Seamus was glad that they could be there for each other. They might not have been able to fully understand what the other was going through but at least they had each other to lean on.

Seamus let out a content sigh, which was swiftly followed by a rumble from his stomach. He glanced at his watch and gave a slight nod. It was nearing midnight and while he knew that he needed sleep, he knew that he was unlikely to manage sleep of any kind unless he had Dean there to hold. He had yet to master sleeping alone. He'd gotten used to the whole getting up for a midnight snack thing as of late anyway.

They had fallen into a routine of sorts when they had moved into the flat in Ireland. Seamus was in college now, having decided to study mechanics at some point during their journey abroad, so he was in class most of the day. That left Dean home alone where Seamus assumed that he caught up on sleep, though honestly he hadn't asked what the other man did all day and something told him not to pry. When he got home, Dean was always sat by the window with his sketchpad and he generally remained there until after Seamus' midnight snack. Seamus usually had to coax him to bed with the promises of kisses and snuggles.

Tonight was no different, he soon found as he made himself some toast and let himself just watch Dean for a while.

There was nothing that he liked more in the whole world than to watch his boyfriend draw. He always looked his most beautiful, like there was nothing more important in the world to him. If he'd been anyone else, then this might have bothered him more than a little but as it was, he knew that as soon as he distracted the other man then he would become the most important thing in the world.

He finished his toast which he had opted to eat dry, mainly because he didn't think that they had anything to go on the toast. Their only source of income was from their parents. Seamus hated relying on them, but they'd insisted on looking after the boys. Seamus supposed that probably had something to do with the fact that they were all just happy that they had made it through the war in the first place.

"Coming to bed?" He asked Dean softly as he walked over.

Dean had been lost in thought but at the sound of Seamus' voice he had all but slammed the sketchpad shut. Seamus frowned slightly at this but tried not to comment on it. Dean was usually not secretive about his work, in fact he usually showed Seamus what he was working on before they went to bed, but today seemed to be the exception.

"Yeah, time to sleep." Dean agreed, though they both knew that the chances of Dean actually sleeping were slim to none. Sure, Dean went to bed with Seamus every night, but they both knew Dean was more likely to just hold Seamus through the night.

They got into bed and Seamus snuggled up to Dean with a yawn as he tried to ignore his thoughts as they tried to convince him that Dean was up to something. He couldn’t let intrusive thoughts get in the way of the content feeling that he’d had ever since they moved here. He was used to seeing everything that Dean drew, but he knew that he had to allow the other man to have some privacy, something that was entirely new to them, but also completely valid. He fell asleep cuddled up to Dean, with a smile on his face as he managed to push all of the worries to the back of his mind.

“I think we should go away for a weekend.” Dean said quietly over breakfast the next morning, which took Seamus by surprise. They’d been settled here for a couple of months now so he supposed that he could understand why Dean would have itchy feet, especially considering this was the longest that he had rested anywhere in the last two years.

“Where did you have in mind?” Seamus asked as he looked up from his steaming mug of coffee. He had never been a coffee person until he had started his college classes and now he found that he couldn’t get through the day without a cup of caffeine.

“How uncomfortable would it make you if I told you that it was a surprise?” Dean asked, a smile playing across his lips that made Seamus want to kiss him over and over again, but he held off while he thought about the question at hand for a moment.

“I guess I'd just have to put up with it?" Seamus answered slowly. He wasn't a fan of surprises, not because he didn't like them but because they reminded him of Lavender. That girl had always been full of surprises, some good and some bad.

"That's the spirit." Dean said with a grin as he moved to tidy their plates away and pressed a kiss to Seamus' cheek. "I'll have us packed and ready to leave tonight."

"What's the rush?" Seamus asked slowly. He was trying to keep a frown from making its way onto his features but it seemed that he was losing that battle.

"That's part of the surprise." Dean said with an unmistakable grin that both made Seamus' heart soar and irked him at the same time.

Seamus just rolled his eyes though instead of arguing with him. "I'll see you after class." He hummed as he finished his coffee and checked his watch. He was probably going to be late but then he couldn't remember a time when he had even been punctual. He received a peck on the lips from the still rather chipper Dean before he headed out of the flat.

The mystery location was not what Seamus had expected but at the same time, he realised that it made perfect sense, especially as he watched Dean light a small bonfire and the pair of them settled down. He'd missed camping which was another thing that he was now realising as he roasted a marshmallow over the flame. They hadn't camped since last summer, despite their travels which took them all over the place. He could understand why Dean chose to avoid it but he hadn't spent a year on the run being forced to camp so Seamus still enjoyed it.

There was also something extra special about this place, about this waterfall that kept calling him back. He didn't know what it was, just that they were there again - he was there again for the fourth year in a row. A faint memory flickered through his mind then from when he'd read Dean's goodbye letter and he turned his head slightly to look at his boyfriend. 

"After sixth year, you were here, watching me, weren't you?" He asked softly, hoping that he was right and didn't just sound big headed in that moment. He wanted to believe that Dean had been there with him, that it wasn't just his place, it was their place.

"Yes." He said softly before popping a toasted marshmallow into his mouth, which he had to fan just moments later much to Seamus' amusement. "I was going to take the letter from you and read it to you, say my goodbye properly but by the time I caught up to you, you'd already read it."

Seamus watched him for a moment, a soft smile playing across his lips at that thought. It was sad, of course it was, to know that he could have kissed those lips of Dean's before they'd had to part ways for an entire year, but at the same time, their first proper kiss as boyfriends had been pretty much perfect and he wouldn't change that for the world. "I love you." He said softly.

Seamus stretched out in his sleeping bag as he awoke to the sounds of birdsong and cascading water. He'd fallen asleep under the stars in his favourite place with his favourite person, though it seemed that said person was now gone.

He gave a small groan as he sat up and looked around for Dean. He wasn't used to waking up and not having the other man's arms wrapped around him but he tried not to let this unsettle him too much. They were on a holiday of sorts and he knew he should be prepared for changes to their normal.

Dean wasn't far away anyway. He was bent over his pad and he was sketching away furiously, completely oblivious to the world around him. Seamus watched him for a while as he let himself wake up a little. He wanted to go over there but then remembered the night before last and decided that he was better to just respect Dean's privacy, so instead once he was properly awake, he decided just to make himself some coffee.

It was a short while before Dean noticed that Seamus was awake, but when he did he wrapped his arms around Seamus from behind and kissed along his neck.

"Morning." Seamus hummed, his eyes closing for a moment before he turned to press a kiss against Dean's cheek. "You've been busy?" He might not have been in any rush to look at the sketchpad but that wasn't to say that he wasn't desperate to know.

"More of the surprise." Dean's tone was teasing which Seamus wasn't entirely sure he appreciated this early in the morning.

"I thought the waterfall was the surprise." Seamus said slowly as he watched Dean shake his head.

"It's part of the surprise but not the whole surprise." He said softly before he placed the sketchpad on Seamus' lap. He opened it to a page where Dean had drawn the pair of them sitting in front of the waterfall.

Seamus stared at the drawing, his eyes widening slightly as he saw them through Dean's eyes, like two halves of a whole. "This is beautiful." He whispered as he finally managed to tear his eyes away and looked up at his boyfriend.

"Turn the page." Dean said softly as he pressed a kiss to the top of Seamus' head.

Seamus raised an eyebrow slightly and felt Dean pull away just slightly as he did as he was told.

The words 'Will you marry me?' were spelled out on the next page in ornate calligraphy. They took a moment to actually register with Seamus who had to read them six or seven times over before he understood what they said. His eyes were even wider when he turned to look at Dean who was now holding a box in his hand. Inside the box was a ring that definitely cost more money that either of them had.

"I love you, Shay, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, will you? Will you marry me?" Dean asked which Seamus could only answer with a kiss to his lips as he turned and pushed Dean down in the grass.


End file.
